Monday, August 22, 2016

See calls for transparency on state’s negotiation with Petronas

KUCHING:
Batu Lintang assemblyman See Chee How has expressed his disappointment
with Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas for not being
open and transparent with Sarawakians.

See, who is state PKR vice
chairman, was responding to Uggah’s statement on last Saturday
describing the second round of meeting between the state government and
Petronas as “fruitful”, and urged the public to remain calm and patient
and that “Sarawakians could expect good news soon”.

“One of the
reasons for the state government to impose the moratorium on work
permits for Petronas staff who are non-Sarawakians was that Petronas was
‘not open and transparent with Sarawak on its operations in Sarawak’.

“Now
the state government is guilty of what they are accusing others of,
because they are not open and transparent with Sarawakians,” he told The
Borneo Post yesterday.

This prompted See to query the state
government: “Are we finally going to get a Sarawakian to be appointed
the General Manager for Sarawak Operation, after 40 years of Petronas
operation in the state?”

He pointed out that when the national
petroleum company embarked on its plan to implement the policy of
Malaysianisation, replacing the foreign consultants and expatriates who
were holding senior executive and managerial positions with Malaysians
in 1992, there were plans and programmes to groom and train Sarawakians
to eventually head the Sarawak Operation.

“Unfortunately, after 25
years, capable Sarawakians who are qualified for the position of the
General Manager for Sarawak Operation were being overlooked, until
today.”

See reiterated that the state government must make use of
the opportunity of this series of meetings to insist on widening the
scope of discussion with Petronas, to cover the other aspects of
Petronas operation in Sarawak.

“Not only is Petronas not being
open and transparent in its employment policy and practice in Sarawak.
What we should be concerned most is the signing and award of Production
Sharing Contracts (PSC) to explore, prospect and develop the fields
onshore and offshore of Sarawak, at this time and with the state
government being kept in the dark.

“Though the state government
has made it clear that Petronas has no more rights to make unilateral
decision on the exploitation and development of natural resources within
Sarawak’s territorial boundary, the PSC for the exploration of Block
SK410B was last month awarded to PTTEP HK Offshores of Thailand and
KUFPEC Malaysia of Kuwait. While Petronas Carigali has a 15% stake in
the joint venture, Sarawak has nothing.

“It is reliably learned
that Petronas is now vigorously promoting nine to 12 other focus blocks
located in Sarawak, to foreign entities, though they have no right to do
so.”

See said Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Adenan Satem
must immediately make a strong representation to the federal government,
and initiate meetings with Putrajaya on this matter.

“Petronas is
wholly owned by the federal government. It is obvious that the federal
administration wishes for the national petroleum company to continue its
monopoly on the exploitation of these valuable resources in the
country, disregarding the detriment and prejudice to Sarawak.”

No comments:

DONATE TO SAVE OUR SARAWAK

BERUBAHLAH! 改变!

PKR will bring the change that Sarawak desperately needs. We will return the trees, the lands and the rivers to the people. Corruption will stop. Taib will continue to hand over the State's wealth and resources to Putrajaya and the preferred elite. PKR, led by Baru Bian in Sarawak, will not steal. Thirty years is enough! The time is now! BERUBAHLAH!